Cash register



3 SheetsSheet 1. R. T. HOUK. CASH REGISTER.

(No Model.)

No. 492,988. Patented Mar. '7, 1893v (No Model.) a Sheets-Shet 2. I

R. T. HOUK.

CASH REGISTER.

No. 492,983. Patented Mar. '7, 1893.

3 u e e h S S t e e h s 3 Km UT OB HM R T S RM a d M 0 W No. 492,983.Patented Mar. 7, 1893.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ROBERT T. HOUK, OF DAYTON, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE NATIONAL CASH REGISTERCOMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

CASH-REGISTER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 492,983, dated March 7,1893.

Application filed December 12, 1892- Serial No. 454,848. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ROBERT T. HoUK, a citizen of the United States,residing at Dayton, in the county of Montgomery and State of Ohio, haveinvented a certain new and useful Improvement in Gash-Registers, ofwhich the following is a description, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, forminga part of this specification.

My invention relates to that class of cash registers in which a seriesof operating keys representing different amounts are provided with, orarranged to actuate, a series of type numbers representing correspondingamounts, said types being arranged to print their-respective numbersupon paper tickets inserted beneath them, the printing of the numbersupon the tickets being effected by the same operations of the keys whichindioate and register their values. Heretofore a supply of separatetickets has been used either a bunch of loose tickets placed inconvenient relation to the machine, or carried in a suitableticket-holder.

One of the principal features of my invention consists in dispensingwith such a supply of loose tickets and in carrying the ticket-supply inthe form of a paper strip,preferably in a roll, from whence the strip isled between the impression platen and the types and then torn offagainst a suitable tearing edge or otherwise severed into separatechecks. This and the other novel features of my invention will behereinafter more fully described and particularly pointed out in theclaims.

In the accompanying drawings Figure 1 is a perspective view of a cashregister embodying my invention in one form; Fig. 2 a vertical sectionof the ticket-holder and so much of the cash register as is necessary toillustrate my invention; Fig. 3 a vertical section of the lower forwardportion of a cash register and a ticket holder mounted upon a supportcarried by the forward side of the money drawer, and Fig. 4 a detailplan view of aportion of the front side of the money drawer and ticketholder of Fig. 3.

The same letters of reference are used to indicate identical parts inall the figures.

Under the arrangement shown in Figs. 1

and 2 the ticket-holder A is mounted to slide or travel laterally upon aguide rod B secured at its opposite ends to the sides of the casing andpassing through the ticket-holder. The latter has mounted upon its rearwall a friction-roller C, Fig. 2, which rests upon the guide rod B. Italso has mounted upon an inclined axis in its lower forward portion afriction roller D which rests upon a bearing surface on the cross-pieceE of the casing. The paper strip from which the tickets are to be formedis carried in a roll F, which may be either mounted upon a spindle or beloose within the casing. From the roll F the paper strip is led upwardand rearward between two rollers G H, thence forward over a platen Iembedded in the cross-piece J of the framework, thence forward over thetop of the ticket-holder, beneath a guide K and tearing edge L. Theoperating keys M have pivoted to them plates or hangers N which carrythe types 0 adapted to contact with the platen I when the front ends ofthe keys are depressed. An inking ribbon Pis carried upon spools withinhousings Q at opposite sides of the casing and led across the machinebetween the types 0 and platen I.

Under the above construction and arrangement the operation consists insliding the ticket-holder A in one direction or the other until it isbrought beneath the proper key, then depressing the key to print itsnumber upon the paper strip, then drawing forward the paper strip untilthe printed number is brought in front of the tearing edge L, and thentearing the strip off against said edge to form the separate ticket. Theforward rounded side of the ticket-holder A is provided with an openingB, Fig. l, to permit the front end of the paper strip to be readilygrasped.

\Vhile I have shown and described the platen I as one continuous pieceof suitable material embedded in the crossbar J, it is not essentialthat the platen should be mounted upon such a cross-bar or other fixedportion of the machine, since it might be carried by the ticket-holderitself and move laterally with it. So, too, it is not essential that thetypes be carried directly by the keys,

since they might be independentlysupported gmd actuated directly orindirectly by the reys.

In Figs. 3 and 4 the ticket-holder is mount- .ed to slide laterally uponsupports carried upon the front side of the usual money-drawer l Thisdrawer has detachably secured to its forward side a frame-work orhousing G extending its entire width and containingtwo transverse shaftsH I secured at their opposite ends in the sides of the housing. Theticket-holder consists of two side plates J K secured together bycross-pieces L M and resting upon the rods H 1. The rear ends of theside plates J K are extended upward and thence forward over thecross-piece N, which forms the top of the rear portion of the housing Gand has embedded in it a platen O. The extreme upward and forward endsof' tl1e side plates J K are connected by two thin plates P, separatedsufficiently from each other to permit the passage of the paper strip.The strip is carried in a roll Q upon a spindle R mounted in theside-plates J K, and is led thence over a roller S journaled in aswinging-frame composed of two side arms T. hung upon a transverse shaftU and connected by a cross-bar V; thence upward and rearward over aguide-roller l/V, thence forward over the platen O and between theplates P. The forward cross-bar L of the ticket-holder has secured to ita handle X, whose stem extends through a transverse slot in the frontwall of the housing G, and this handle preferably carries apointerorequivalent indicator Y which cooperates with a series ofnumbers upon the upper surface of the housing G, Fig. 4, so that whenthe handle is slid laterally until the indicator Y is brought over agiven number the ticketholder is brought beneath the corresponding keyinposition to have its value printed upon the paper strip.

The operation of the parts, as in the con struction above described,consists in sliding the ticket-holder laterally upon the guiderods H Iuntil it is brought beneath the proper key, then depressing the key toeffect the printing, and then drawing the strip forward the properdistance and tearing it off against the upper plate P. The middle andrear portions of these plates P are cut away, so that the paper stripmay be readily grasped between the thumb and finger of the operator andpulled forward far enough for him to catch hold of its front end. Itwill be understood that the frame or housing G on the ticket-holdermoves outward and inward with the money-drawer, which is normallylocked, and opened (generally automatically) at each operation of themachine.

It is common in machines of this class to provide means between theoperating keys and the drawer look by which the drawer is released uponthe return upward strokes of the keys. In such case the drawer would notbe released until after the printing had been Having thus fullydescribed my invention,

I claim 1. In a cash register, the combination, w1th a series ofoperating keys representing d1fierent values, type-numbers representingcorresponding values actuated by the respect ve keys, and an impressionplaten co-operating with the type-numbers, of a ticket-holder mounted tomove transversely across the machine adjacent to the front ends of thekeys and containing a roll of paper strip adapted to be drawn from theholder over the impres sion platen and severed into separate checks,substantially as and for the purpose described.

2. In a cash register, the combination, with a series of operating keysrepresenting different values, type-numbers representing correspondingvalues carried by the respect ve keys, and an impression platenco-operatmg with the type-numbers, of a ticket-holder mounted uponguides to move transversely across the machine adjacent to the frontends of the operating keys and containing a supply of paper stripadapted to be drawn from the holder over the impression platen and tornoff to form detached checks, substantially as and for the purposedescribed.

3. In a cash register,-the combination, with a series of operating keysrepresenting different values, type-numbers representing correspondingvalues carried by the respective keys, a fixed impression platenextending transversely across the machine beneath the types, and aninking ribbon led between the types and platen, of a ticket-holdermounted upon guides to move transversely across the machine adjacent tothe front ends of the operating keys and containing a supply of paperstrip adapted to be drawn from the latter over the fixed impressionplaten and beneath the types, and torn off to form detached checks,substantially as and for the purpose described.

4. In a cash register, the combination, with a series of operating keysrepresenting different values, type-numbers representing correspondingvalues actuated by the respective keys, and an impression platenco-operating with the type-numbers, of a forwardly and backwardlysliding money-drawer, and a platen O co-operating with the types 0, andthe ticket-holder mounted to move laterally upon guides H 1 within thehousing G and carrying the roll of paper-strip Q adapted to be led overthe platen O and torn into separate checks, substantially as and for thepurpose described.

6. In a cash register, the combination of the operating keys M, thetypes 0 carried thereby, the inking ribbon P led beneath the same, theforwardly and backwardly movable money-drawerF,thehousing G secured tothe front side of the drawer, the platen 0 carried by said housing andco-operating with the types 0, and the ticket-holder adapted to movelaterally within the housing G upon guides H I and composed of theside-plates J K connected by suitable cross-pieces, as L M, and extendedrearwardly and upwardly and forwardly over the platen O and connected attheir forward ends by the plates P, said holder containing the roll ofpaper strip Q led rearward over a guide W and thence forward over theplaten O and between the plates P, and the handle X, secured to theholder and extending through a transverse slot in the front wall of thehousing G, substantially as and for the purpose described.

7. In a cash register, the combination of the operating keys M, thetypes 0 carried thereby, the inking ribbon P led beneath the same, theforwardly and backwardly sliding moneydrawer F, the housing G detachablysecured to the front side of said drawer, the platen O embedded in thetop plate N of said housing and extending beneath the row of types 0,the ticket holder mounted to slide laterally within the housing G uponthe guide rods H I and consisting of the two side-plates J K connectedby the cross pieces L M and extended rearwardly and upwardly andforwardly over the platen O and connected at their upper forward ends byplates P, and the handle X secured to the ticketholder and extendingthrough a transverse slot in the front wall of the housing G andcarrying the pointer Y co-operating with an index upon the upper face ofthe housing G, said holder containing the roll of paper strip Q ledupward and rearward over a guideroller W and thence forward over theplaten O and between the plates P, substantially as and for the purposedescribed.

ROBERT T. HOUK.

Witnesses:

ARTHUR E. FRENCH, MILAN F. STEVENS.

